Bethlehem councilman proposes hiring freeze

As Bethlehem snowplowing expenses continue to pile up, City Council is considering whether it can dig itself out financially with a hiring freeze.

Councilman Michael Recchiuti, chairman of the finance committee, on Monday proposed that the city come before council before filling vacancies in the next six months. The freeze would affect all non-public-safety employees, Recchiuti said.

While he doesn't know how much money the freeze could save, Recchiuti said the city should see what it can do so that big-ticket items, like a new machine to patch potholes, aren't lost this year to pay for overtime.

The cost of the snowstorms, which dumped more than 30 inches this month alone across the Lehigh Valley, isn't finalized yet. But city officials said the nor'easter and subsequent clippers two weeks ago had a $300,000 price tag for a 24-hour operation that included 12-hour shifts and outside contractors.

City Business Administrator David Brong is still calculating the numbers, but said, "Where we are going to land is not a great place."

The city has already spent the money it budgeted for overtime for the entire year. The money comes from the city's liquid fuels budget, which also pays for things like street paving and related road programs.

Brong said he did not know how many vacancies the city had or how much money a hiring freeze would save the city. He said he did not know how such a freeze would affect union contracts.

He said he had a lot of questions about such a proposal.

Brong said the city is looking at how the cost of snowplowing would affect the budget. He said the city is looking at possibilities including not using the liquid fuels budget for a new machine that would fix potholes, instead tapping the non-utility capital budget. He said the city doesn't want to delay getting the pothole machine.

Councilman Adam Waldron requested the number of vacancies and the salaries budgeted for those positions.

The Lehigh Valley has received 35.2 inches of snow over the last month, and with the recent freezing temperatures, there has been little melting. The nor'easter covered the Lehigh Valley in 19 inches of snow, and a clipper dumped a couple more over the weekend.